gifts and the tree is on the curb

the morning after christmas was super fun ;-) since we still had all our stockings and gifts to open!!

we did stockings first. then ate cinnamon rolls and fruit.

then the kids gave out their gifts. they each bought EACH kid something. so it was a lot of gifts. but it was my FAVORITE part of the morning. they truly each bought thoughtful gifts for each other. watching the GIVER'S face was the BEST part! :-)

this was one of the cutest gifts. i had been with sawyer when he was shopping for rebekah in target earlier in the month. he went to the girl toy aisles. just not really "getting" that his big sister isn't a "little" girl anymore. and he was looking SO hard at everything. i was getting a little impatient (like always) and asked him what he was looking for. then he stopped, looked up and his eyes LIT up! he said, "THAT! she LOVES scarves AND purple!" :-) so precious...

then we gave the kids our gifts for them. usually a book, a movie/game and a toy. but the kids decided we should just give them 2 gifts next year so we'll change it up a little.

bailey's "toy" - she has wanted a beanbag for SOOOOOOO long. it was SO fun to give it to her!

and there is always 1 last present for ALL of them. with a scavenger hunt to find it. (that pat does. and it amazing at doing that!)

it ended in the garage at a firepit! and it has been the BEST gift for our family! we had a fire that night and sat and talked for so long. such sweet conversation that we would not have if we weren't sitting around a fire. we got to hear their hearts about our new "way" of doing christmas and were surprised at their openness and liking of it.

the kids spent the afternoon playing and i spent it undecorating the house. once christmas is over, i can't STAND the decorations :/ i know, i know. the tree was on the curb before dinner.